Design an unmanned aerial vehicle for Mars

What are the challenges in designing an airplane for flight on Mars?

29 March 2006

Students are invited to submit their ideas for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) suitable for exploring Mars – the best designs will win a place at the Euroavia Design Workshop to be held at the Erasmus User Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, between 16 July and 5 August 2006.

All European aerospace students with a minimum of two years study can participate in the contest. Students are required to submit a paper (of between three to ten pages) on the topic of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Mars.

The authors of the 25 best papers will be invited to participate in the three-week design workshop at ESA's research and technology centre (ESTEC). During the workshop they will create a preliminary design of a UAV for Mars with the assistance of specialists from the industry and other institutions. Selected participants will be hosted at no cost. Financial support for travel to/from Noordwijk is also available.

The contest winners will be selected on the basis of scientific merit, ingenuity, and the technical quality of the paper. The jury will consist of professionals from the aerospace industry, ESA and various institutions.

Contest entries must also include:

A short abstract of the essay

A 500 word maximum motivation paper

Curriculum Vitae

Copy of their student card

Personal contact details (name, address, telephone, email)

Name and address of their university.

Papers should be completed and submitted together with other relevant documents by 1 May 2006 at the latest to the following email address: applications@dewo06.net

Euroavia, the European Association of Aerospace Students, aims to encourage European aerospace students to interact with the specialised space industry, creating opportunities for both academia and industry. This objective is achieved through organising workshops, which are hosted, supported and sponsored by various space related industries.

ESA supports the workshop as part of its long-term strategy for space exploration

The ESA Directorate of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration will host and support the workshop as part of its long-term strategy for space exploration, better known as Aurora. The Aurora Programme aims to further explore our Solar System, notably the Moon and Mars, through both robotic and human missions and as such encourages academic and industrial interaction in order to develop the necessary technologies for the future development of human missions.

To achieve this, Aurora encourages younger generations to become involved in the process of technological development through workshops and seminars whereby they are given the opportunity to plan and develop their ideas. The benefits are two-fold; it encourages more interest in space related activities in the younger generation and improves design development processes.